1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the surface configuration of poles, posts, support structures and the like, for example that support signage, outdoor lighting, telephone or power transmission lines, elevated roadways and the like in public places. In particular the invention provides a surface structure that presents a minimal outermost surface area, especially using elongated radially protruding splines, such that posters and handbills cannot be securely or permanently attached.
2. Prior Art
Support poles are used, for example, to support utility lines such as telephone, cable television and electric power lines, various types of lighting fixtures, traffic signals, signage, elevated roadways or tracks and the like. The familiar "telephone pole" typically is cylindrical in shape and ranges in exposed length above the ground from 18 to 25 feet (5.5 to 8 meters) and in diameter from eight inches to a foot (20 to 30 cm.). Poles and similar supports are popular sites for affixing posters, handbills and similar materials.
Square or other cross sections are also possible for supports, and supports with flat surfaces (e.g., bridge abutments) may also be used for the attachment of posters and other sheet materials. Supports of this nature vary in size and shape depending on the load they are expected to carry and depending on the height of the pole or support. Therefore a given pole can be larger or smaller than the typical telephone pole. For purposes of convenience, all such poles and supports are described herein using the example of utility poles, although the invention is not limited to poles or posts for any particular use, and instead concerns the improvement of poles and other supports to render their surfaces less suitable for the mounting of posters.
Although it is very common to have a solid utility pole or other support made of treated wood, one end being buried in the ground, an increasing number of utility poles and supports are constructed using other materials and structures, such as metal or plastic poles received in a base structure that can be bolted down rather then buried. It is advantageous to provide support poles that are inexpensive, long lived and easy to install and maintain. In some instances, a pole advantageously includes break away mounts for minimizing damage to vehicles and injuries to occupants that may collide with the pole, means to telescope a pole or to articulate it for access to the upper section or for orienting the upper section as needed. Poles may also include various devices for attachment to the ground, including wiring access arrangements, resilient mountings so that minor collisions only temporarily deflect the pole, etc. Many of these features are advantageously provided with a metal or plastic pole, such as an extruded aluminum pole.
Ground mounted utility poles and supports inherently have at least a portion of their length readily accessible to people on the ground. Such people often wish to post signs, posters, placards, banners, stickers, advertisements and the like. Particularly over time, in well travelled areas where posters are popular, and as older posters deteriorate and are covered over by newer ones, the pole or support can become quite unsightly. This is a particular problem in urban areas.
Most common utility poles and supports have a smooth outer surface. It is easy to relatively permanently attach a poster to such a surface using glue, cement, paste, tape the like. Even assuming that maintenance personnel regularly remove posters and bills, this is time consuming and expensive, and it is often difficult to remove them completely without undertaking major operations such as chemical cleaning or abrasion. It would be desirable to produce a pole or support that is resistant to affixation of posters initially, and/or a pole that permits attached posters to be removed easily and relatively completely without leaving bits and pieces of poster and adhesive behind. Preferably, the poster resistant surface can also be applied to existing poles and supports.
One possibility would be to coat the poles with a non-stick material, for example similar to that used in cookware, or perhaps including grease or a similar lubricant or release coating. These coatings may be expensive or may not weather well outdoors. Insofar as the coating may be visible or may accumulate dirt, the coating would be unsightly in itself.
It would be desirable to provide a utility pole that is structurally and permanently resistant to the affixation of posters, is strong and attractive but relatively inexpensive,. can be readily made in modern materials, and from which any posters attached by particularly tenacious persons can be readily and substantially completely removed.
The present invention provides such a structure by minimizing the surface area available at the outer periphery of the pole for a poster to contact. This can be accomplished by using relatively thin protruding longitudinally extending splines or similar structures. It is known to provide decorative surface configurations in poles that arguably form splines, especially in poles intended to resemble historical cast poles. However, such decorative structures lack protrusions that present exclusively a minimal surface area at their radially outermost edges, that are sufficiently deep and/or closely spaced as to practically prevent posters, bills and the like from being attached effectively, and/or to facilitate their removal.